Anode



Jan. 13, 1942. I j H 2,269,852

ANODE Filed May 31, 1939 INVEN I'OR E. 7' Ham/7E4 ATTORNEY Patented Jan.13, 1942 ANODE Robert T. Hummel, Bloomfield, N.' .I., assignor to,Westinghouse Electric &; Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa-, ami j Pennsylvania Application May 31, 1939, Serial is 276,637 7 Claims.(01. tat-+27 v Myinvention relates to discharge devices, and especiallyto the anode structure thereof.

'Anobject of the'invention is to provide an anode structure which isvery economical in cost of materials. 7 V V "A'nother'object oftheinvention is to provide a mechanically strong and rigid anodeassembly.

A further object is to provide a ribbed anode plate having asubstantially plane active surface facing the other electrodes. f "Astill further object of the invention is to provide an anode structurethat can-utilize a desirablematerial such as tantalum in a manner thatwill overcome its mechanical weakness.

' Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description and drawing in which:'

i Figure 1 is a front elevation of a typical dischargedevice'incorporatng the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of myanodestructure.

- Figure 3'is a perspective view of an anode plate inprocess offormation} Figure 4 is a perspective of the plate of Figure 3'in afurther step of formation. l Figure 5 is an enlarged end view of aportion of the anode platein Figure 4.-

Figure 6i's a perspective view of one of the spacing members of Figure2.

Figure 7 i a perspective view of a modified form of anode plate.

Tantalum is being used in discharge devices because of its ability tomaintain a clean-up of the gases inside the tube. Tantalum, however, isa weak mechanical metal in comparison with the metals molybdenum,tungsten and the like.

One of the disadvantages of tantalum is that it costs approximately, atpresent prices, about $85.00 per pound, so that it is desirable toutilize as little as possible of the material for a given apparatus.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide an anode structurethat will utilize a mini mum of desirable but expensive material liketantalum, and yet provide a very strong rigid structure capable ofmaintaining its desired shape.

In Figure 1 I have illustrated a discharge device with the usual glasscasing l0, having a press II with the standards I2 therethrough,supporting the cathode |3 and a grid [4 surrounding this cathode andsupported by standard l5 and a clamp I 6 from the press I I A flexibleconnection I! extends from the grid standards to a separate exteriorconnection l8.

The cathode standards lzhave exterior connections Hi. The anode 211 issupported by the standards 2| and clamp 22 irorna still different press23. The

.anode'ha an exterior connection 24. The particular construction,however, is to be taken as .purelyillustrative and not as limiting theinvention thereto.

'It is' desired to utilize tantalum for the construction of the anode.In Figure 2 I have disclosed-a preferred embodiment of myinvention inperspective. ,The two sides 25 and 26 are of tantalum inasmuch as theirinner faces are mainly the active surfaces of the anode because they areclosely adjacent to the grid and extended side of the M-shaped cathodeillustrated in Figure 1. The'end portions 21 and 28, how- .ever', are ofsturdier material, preferably molybdenum. v 1

Iniformingthe sidesv 25-and 26, I take a fiat .pieceof materiala'n'd'first rib the material using aV-sh'apedT rib, startingat edge 29and make a series of ribsBOending with the other edge 3| as showninFigureB... 'The series of V-shaped ribs are; parallel andjpr'eferablyequally spaced at frequent intervals across the sheet. The plate is theninserted in a die under an arbor press where the ribs are collapsed-intothe form disclosed in Figures 4 and 5..ff f

The rib 30 now has its inner surfaces 32 and 33 in contact with eachother. Because of the collapsed ribs illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, theplate is capable of withstanding mechanical pressure not possible withthe open ribbed structure illustrated in Figure 3; Another advantage isthat the active surface 34 facing the other electrodes is practicallyflat as seen in Figure 5. The structure of Figure 3 would providesharply varying distances from the other electrodes to the fiat portion34 and then to the sloping surfaces 32 and 33. Two of these plates maybe formed of the desired length and width and then be united by aU-shaped or channel member 21, preferably of molybdenum, as illustratedin Fi ures 2 and 6. The union of the two metals may be made by welding.

Because of the strength of the collapsed rib structure illustrated inFigure 4, the 10 mil thickness generally used with tantalum, can bereduced to 4 mils, with a great saving of material.

The collapsed rib structure of Figure 4 has a strength of probably tentimes that of Figure 3, even if Figure 3 is 10 mil thickness instead ofthe 4 mils of Figure 4. It will be noted that my invention firstcontemplates a substitution of sturdier supporting channel members 21and 23,

by any suitable supporting members to form the anode structure. Thesesupporting members may be attached to the inner, but preferably theouter, surface of these tantalum members. The edges 36 have thecollapsed ribs therein to prevent the possibility of the materialcurling. The

shape of the lapped edges 29 and 3| in Figure 4 also maintain thedesired shape of the plates.

The spacing between the collapsed ribs depends on how strong it isdesired to make the plate. With a wide plate the ribs will preferably bespaced closer together. As illustrative of desired proportions, Iconstructed an anode illustrated in Figure 2, with plates two incheslong and one and one-half inches wide with the ribs as shown betweenone-sixteenth and one-eighth inch high, although nearer one-sixteenth.The channel members were three-eighths of an inch wide.

It is apparent that many modifications may be made in the preferredembodiments disclosed, without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. An anode comprising two sheets of approximately 4 mil tantalum andspacing members of a sturdier metal joined to said sheets, said sheetshaving folds with contacting inner faces said spacing members joined atan angle to said folds.

2. An anode comprising two sheets of tantalum and spacing members of asturdier metal joined to the lateral edges of said sheets, said sheetshaving folds with contacting inner faces, said folds being spacedparallel on said sheets said spacing members extending at an angle tosaid folds.

3. An anode for an electron discharge device including a sheet oftantalum having a plurality of folds across the outer surface thereof,the

inner stuface comprisingthe portion of the inner faces of said folds andthe portion to receive the electrons, the inner faces of said foldsbeing in contact with each other and a metal member of sturdier materialextending along a lateral surface of said tantalum at an angle to saidfolds, said sturdier material secured to said tantalum.

4. An anode for a discharge device, having a sheet of tantalum for anactive surface, said sheet having a plurality of transverse parallelouter folds with contacting inner faces, and

sturdier metal joined to said sheet at the edges of said folds.

5. An anode for an electron discharge device including a sheet oftantalum having a plurality of folds across the outer surface thereof,the inner surface comprising the portion of the inner faces of saidfolds and the portion to receive the electrons, the inner faces of saidfolds being in contact with each other and a metal member of sturdiermaterial extending along a lateral surface of said tantalum at rightangles to said folds, said sturdier material secured to said tantalum.

6. An anode for any electron discharge device comprising two spacedparallel sheets of tantalum having a plurality of transverse foldsacross the outer surface of each sheet and terminating at the lateraledges of the sheets, the inner surfaces of each sheet comprising theportion of the inner faces of said folds and the portion to receive theelectrons, the inner faces of said folds being in contact with eachother, two metal members of sturdier material each secured to twolateral edges of said tantalum sheets at right angles to said folds.

7. An anode for an electron discharge device comprising two spacedparallel sheets of approximately 4 mil tantalum having a plurality oftransverse folds across the outer surface of each sheet and terminatingat the lateral edges of the sheets, the inner surfaces of each sheetcomprising the portion of the inner faces of said folds and the portionto receive the electrons, the inner faces of said folds being in contactwith each other, two metal members of sturdier material each secured totwo lateral edges of said tantalum sheets at right angles to said folds.

ROBERT T. HUMMEL.

